Tag: Natasha Siegel

The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell

Date of publication: March 12th, 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, Adult, Fiction, Historical Romance, Mental Health, Jewish, LGBTQ+

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A passionate tale of plague, fire, and forbidden love in seventeenth-century London from the acclaimed author of Solomon’s Crown

1666. It is a year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within the cavernous London townhouse of her older sister. At the mercy of a legion of doctors who fail to cure her grief with their impatient scalpels, Cecilia shows no signs of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision borne of she hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew. And despite his attempts to save Cecilia, he knows he cannot quell the storm of grief that rages within her. There is no easy cure for melancholy.

David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend, struggling with his religion and his past, David finds himself in this foreign land, free and safe, but incapable of happiness—caring not even for himself, but only for his ailing father. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.

Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. A Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.

First Line

Three springs had passed since the king’s return to England, when I married William Thorowgood.

The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel

Important details about The Phoenix Bride

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Cecilia and David)

Trigger Warnings: The Phoenix Bride contains themes that include antisemitism, fire and fire injury, confinement, death, medical content, grief, religious bigotry, death of a parent, alcohol, pandemic/epidemic, homophobia, vomit, classism, pregnancy, religious persecution, arranged marriage, forced marriage, depression, eating disorders, sleep disorders, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, infertility, blood, dead bodies, and the death of a spouse.

Language: The Phoenix Bride contains no swearing or language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild (non-graphic) sexual content in The Phoenix Bride.

Setting: The Phoenix Bride is set in 17th-century London, England.

My Review

I have always loved England. I will try to read anything I can about England when given the opportunity. I do read books from the Victorian or Regency era, but I will read earlier if I find a book I like. The Phoenix Bride definitely fit what I liked, and seeing that it takes place before, during, and after The Great Fire (an event that I have read almost next to nothing about), my interest was caught.

The Phoenix Bride’s storyline centers on Cecilia and David, their backstories, their romance, and The Great Fire (and its aftermath). I found this a well-written, eye-opening book about life in 1666. I did have questions about the end of the book. It was vague, and I couldn’t tell if there was an HEA. But, considering how prejudiced people were, I went for not being an HEA—just an HEA for that moment.

Cecilia was a hot mess when the book started. Her mental health issues were addressed immediately, and you couldn’t help but pity her. She went into a deep depression when her husband died. But, the book didn’t dwell on Cecilia’s mental health for long. Instead, it steamed forward with her falling in love with David and her engagement to Sir Grey. In a world where women were considered property and often were regulated to the background, Cecilia refused to do so. When she wanted something (in this case, it was David), she went after it, no matter the consequences.

I liked David, and he was another one that I felt terrible about. He dealt with antisemitism daily (which would depress me). He also lost the man he loved to the plague and couldn’t talk to anyone about it (remember, being homosexual back in the 17th century could end up with jail time). He had taken over his ailing father’s practice and was busy with patients. I was surprised he agreed to go to Cecilia’s sister’s house. I was also surprised by his reaction to Cecilia. But, mostly, I was saddened by his grief and stress.

I was very interested in the medical aspect of The Phoenix Bride. I knew the basics of how doctors dealt with the plague back then (plague doctor masks filled with scented flowers), but I never knew what a doctor did on a day-to-day basis (besides bloodletting and leeches). Reading about the different herbs and flowers used to help with different afflictions was interesting. I wish the author had spent more time on that in the book.

Also, what was interesting to me in the book was how doctors treat mental illness and neurodivergent people. Bloodletting was very popular. Cecilia was also confined to a courtyard and her room, was not allowed to exercise, and didn’t visit anyone. It was a little disturbing how she was viewed and treated. Sir Grey was treated similarly (I think he had ADHD or maybe autism, but I am not sure).

I was also interested in how the homosexual community was treated back then. It seemed to me (even though it was technically illegal..the sodomy laws were enacted in 1533) that most people were accepting of the molly houses, and the police did periodic sweeps to appease the government. It seemed like people were accepting in the book. But, even with that, David and Jan (and maybe Sir Grey) had to keep their sexuality very quiet or risk being put in jail or to death.

The Great Fire of London was also incorporated into the plotline during the last half of the book. Only a few details about how it started were given, but there was speculation. I was surprised by how the upper class reacted to the fire. They were on barges watching London burn and people trying to escape. It seemed weird, but I could see why people did it. The author also detailed the aftermath of the fire from David’s POV. He escaped with his life but lost everything.

The romance between Cecilia and David did seem a little forced in spots. I know I am cynical, but I don’t believe in falling in love in only a week (or, in this case, a couple of days). But, even with it feeling forced, I did like their chemistry and how they interacted.

The end of The Phoenix Bride was good, but it was a little vague. I liked that Cecilia and David finally got back together (after being apart for a year). But I read that last chapter, and I couldn’t figure out if they were together with Sir Grey’s blessing or going behind his back. That’s why I mentioned it might be a HEA for now instead of forever.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Natasha Siegel for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Phoenix Bride. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Phoenix Bride, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Natasha Siegel

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel

Star Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell

Date of publication: March 14th, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Adult, Historical Romance, M M Romance

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two destined rivals fall desperately in love—but the fate of medieval Europe hangs in the balance.

“A pair of thrones between us, and my heart clutched like a rosary within his hands …”

Twelfth-century Europe. Newly-crowned King Philip of France is determined to restore his nation to its former empire and bring glory to his name. But when his greatest enemy, King Henry of England, threatens to end his reign before it can even begin, Philip is forced to make a precarious alliance with Henry’s volatile son—risking both his throne, and his heart.

Richard, Duke of Aquitaine, never thought he would be King. But when an unexpected tragedy makes him heir to England, he finally has an opportunity to overthrow the father he despises. At first, Philip is a useful tool in his quest for vengeance… until passion and politics collide, and Richard begins to question whether the crown is worth the cost.

When Philip and Richard find themselves staring down an impending war, they must choose between their desire for one another and their grand ambitions. Will their love prevail, if it calls to them from across the battlefield? Teeming with royal intrigue and betrayal, this epic romance reimagines two real-life kings ensnared by an impossible choice: Follow their hearts, or earn their place in history.

First Line:

Mine was an easy birth. It was a birth my mother would later tell me was fit for glory, fit for a prince.

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel

Philip is the newly crowned king of France and is determined to bring his nation back to its former glory. King Henry, his greatest enemy, has other plans. Philip must reach out to Henry’s second son, Richard, and form an unsteady alliance. He never thought that he would fall desperately in love with Richard.

Richard never thought he would be king. He thought he would forever be on the outside after staging a failed rebellion. He also never thought that he would fall in love with Philip. But everything changes when his brother (the heir to England) dies. He is now heir and can use Philip to help him destroy his father.

When war threatens, Philip and Richard must choose between their love and ambitions. Can their love survive? Or will the war end it?

I have always been fascinated with Medieval England. So, I was thrilled when I saw that Solomon’s Crown was set in this period. I also loved learning about Richard and Philip’s lives and their love story. The author notes at the beginning and end of the book that she took liberties with battles and other historical events. What I found intriguing was that there was a possibility that Philip and Richard were lovers when they were alive. The author states her reasons (her research), and I found it fascinating that it could be true.

Solomon’s Crown is told from dual 1st person point of view. The author labeled each chapter with either Philip or Richard. That made it so much easier to keep track of.

The main characters in Solomon’s Crown were Richard and Philip. I liked that they were complete opposites of each other. Richard was a bit of a mess. He was disorganized, quick to anger (oh so quick), and held grudges. Meanwhile, Philip was quiet, slow to anger, made informed decisions, and didn’t jump into things feet first (which Richard did). At first, I thought they weren’t compatible, but as they interacted, I could see how they complimented each other.

The main storyline was Richard and Philip’s love story and the intrigue of being king. This period was brutal, and the author didn’t dumb it down. She stated that Philip and Richard had to get their hands dirty (killing traitors/enemies) to win over their people. What surprised me (because I didn’t know this) was that being in a homosexual relationship back then wasn’t frowned upon. Did people not care for it? Yes, Henry made that very clear towards the end of the book. But they didn’t freak out when Philip and Richard stopped hiding. It was refreshing to read.

I mentioned intrigue in the paragraph above. This book was full of it, mainly on Richard’s side. Honestly, I couldn’t keep everything straight.

Solomon’s Crown isn’t a fast-paced book. It is slow to medium-paced. The author laid the background and groundwork for Richard and Philip’s romance, and it took time. While it worked for me, it might not work for some people.

The romance angle of Solomon’s Crown was cute. It wasn’t graphic (there were some kissing scenes) and was mostly left up to my imagination.

I wasn’t too fond of the end of Solomon’s Crown. I wish the author could have gone on a tangent and kept Philip and Richard together, but unfortunately, she couldn’t.

I would recommend Solomon’s Crown to anyone over 16. There is no language, non-graphic sex scenes, and moderate violence.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Natasha Siegel for allowing me to read and review Solomon’s Crown. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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